Feed hopper for positive displacement pumps

Abstract

A drill cuttings transfer device that includes a pump having an inlet for receiving the drill cuttings and an outlet for discharging the drill cuttings; and a feed hopper in fluid connection to the inlet of the pump, the feed hopper comprising: at least one air nozzle configured to provide a flow of air to the drill cuttings is disclosed.

1 . A drill cuttings transfer device comprising:
 a pump having an inlet for receiving the drill cuttings and an outlet for discharging the drill cuttings; and   a feed hopper in fluid connection to the inlet of the pump, the feed hopper comprising:
 at least one air nozzle configured to provide a flow of air to the drill cuttings. 
   
   
   
       2 . The drill cuttings transfer device of  claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises a positive displacement pump. 
   
   
       3 . The drill cuttings transfer device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an air supply device in fluid connection with the at least one air nozzle, wherein the air supply device is configured to provide a flow of air to the air nozzle.   
   
   
       4 . The drill cuttings transfer device of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 an air modulation device configured to control the flow of air from the air supply device to the at least one air nozzle.   
   
   
       5 . The drill cuttings transfer device of  claim 4 , wherein the air modulation device comprises:
 a sensor configured to determine a condition of drill cuttings in the feed hopper; and   a programmable logic controller configured to modulate the flow of air to the at least one air nozzle based on the condition.   
   
   
       6 . The drill cuttings transfer device of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of air nozzles. 
   
   
       7 . The drill cuttings transfer device of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of air nozzles are disposed on the feed hopper in at least one group. 
   
   
       8 . The drill cuttings transfer device of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of air nozzles comprise pulsed air nozzles. 
   
   
       9 . A system for treatment of drill cuttings, comprising:
 a storage vessel configured to receive contaminated drill cuttings;   a positive displacement pump having a feed hopper in fluid connection with the storage vessel, the feed hopper having at least one air nozzle configured to provide a flow of air to the contaminated drill cuttings; and   a drill cuttings treatment device in fluid connection to the positive displacement pump.   
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the drill cuttings treatment device comprises:
 a reactor unit in fluid connection with the positive displacement pump for separating the contaminated drill cuttings into drill cuttings and contaminants, comprising:
 a processing chamber having at least one inlet and outlet; and 
 a rotor mounted in the processing chamber, comprising:
 a shaft; and 
 
 a plurality of fixed rotor arms extending radially from the shaft. 
   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the storage vessel comprises a pressurized vessel adapted to allow a compressed gas to be introduced therein as the sole means for inducing movement of said contaminated drill cuttings in the pressurized vessel, whereby at least a portion of the contaminated drill cuttings is discharged from the pressurized vessel. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the pressurized vessel comprises a lower angled section having an angle selected to enable mass flow of contaminated drill cuttings. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the pressurized vessel comprises a plurality of internal baffles configured to divide the contaminated drill cuttings among a plurality of outlets. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the feed hopper comprises a plurality of air nozzles. 
   
   
       15 . A method of transferring drill cuttings, comprising:
 transmitting drill cuttings into a feed hopper;   injecting a flow of air into the feed hopper to disperse the drill cuttings;   actuating a positive displacement pump fluidly connected to the feed hopper; and   providing a flow of drill cuttings to a cuttings remediation operation.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein transmitting comprises:
 pneumatically conveying contaminated drill cuttings from a pressurized vessel into the feed hopper.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the cuttings remediation operation is a reactor unit, the reactor unit comprising:
 a processing chamber having at least one inlet and outlet; and   a rotor mounted in the processing chamber, comprising:
 a shaft; and 
 a plurality of fixed rotor arms extending radially from the shaft. 
   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining a condition of the drill cuttings in the feed hopper.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 modulating the flow of air into the feed hopper based on the condition.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the flow of air comprises a pulsed flow.